Development of triphala churna extract mediated iron oxide nanoparticles as novel treatment strategy for triple negative breast cancer

Abstract

The present work demonstrates the eco-friendly green synthesis of Iron oxide nanoparticles from the aqueous extract of Triphala churna (TIONPs) using ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3.6H2O) precursor in a single-step process. The formulated TIONPs were characterized by various instrumental techniques such as UV–Visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Dynamic light scattering- Zeta potential (DLS-Zeta sizer), and Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) to establish their physico-chemical characteristics. The average size range of obtained spherical TIONPs was found in between 29 and 74 nm. Further, the MTT assay and Nuclear staining assay were carried out on Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines along with a breast cancer associated epidermoid skin carcinoma cell line. The MTT assay revealed prominent cytotoxic activity of TIONPs against the tested cancer cell lines. Additionally, the nuclear staining assay revealed that the cytotoxic activity of these nanoparticles occurred via apoptosis mode by exhibiting nuclear fragmentation, cytoplasmic shrinkage, and cell blebbing. These TIONPs were also found to possess superparamagnetic property which may be additionally beneficial for their rapid and organ targeted delivery. Hence, the green synthesized TIONPs can be explored in near future as a new promising option for TNBC management.